Management Information Sheet

The Educational Achievement, Improvement Leadership and Governance Team have been established to monitor, identify and provide targeted support for Norfolk schools and settings requiring intervention. From September 2011 the team will be providing the following services to schools:

	Working in partnership with Schools Forum we will commission a 1 day visit to every Norfolk school from an appropriately qualified and experienced improvement professional. The visit will take place during the autumn term.
	Provide targeted intervention support to identified schools. These schools will include those below the floor standard, those in an OFSTED category or vulnerable to an adverse inspection. It will also include schools in significant transition.
	Provide a Duty desk/help-line manned 5 days a week by a Lead Adviser/Manager or Head of Service to deal with school enquires and queries relating to issues that arise regarding school leadership, governance, OFSTED inspection or other urgent school business.

Improvement Professional visit to every school
The visit will take place during the autumn term 2011. The programme will involve the Improvement Professional:

	making initial contact with a school to establish the date of the visit
	requesting the Headteacher extends an invitation to attend the meeting to the Chair of Governors / representative from the Governing Body
	establishing a programme for the day. In particular to ascertain whether the school requires the Headteacher Performance management to be addressed during the visit. If this is the case, the Governors Performance Management committee need to be in attendance and fully appraised of the regulations and requirements of the Headteacher Performance Management process.

Working in partnership with Schools Forum we have agreed that the agenda will address:

1.	Scrutiny of pupil achievement and outcomes
-	Prior to the visit the Improvement Professional will have access to the LA 'Dashboard' data analysis of the school
-	The school should provide data for discussion and evidence to support the self evaluation grade for the school. The Improvement Professional will agree or not based on the evidence provided
-	Confirm with the school (depending on phase / age range) the end of Key Stage 2 / 4 targets set and encourage the school to submit the targets on the LA My School site (in line with a September 2011 MI Sheet to be issued when the DfE have confirmed the target setting regulations for 2013)
-	Encourage the school to update their progress in relation to achieving targets on the LA My School site (in line with September 2011 MI Sheet to be issued when the DfE have confirmed the target setting regulations for 2013)
2.	Scrutiny of evidence for teaching and learning The Improvement Professional will agree judgements or not, based on the evidence provided. Depending on the optional activities undertaken this evidence may be supplemented by the Improvement Professional undertaking a joint learning walk
3.	Scrutiny of evidence for Leadership and Management This will include a discussion with representative governors about governors' self evaluation. The Improvement Professional will agree with summary judgements or not based on the evidence provided.
4.	Scrutiny of Behaviour and Safety The Improvement Professional will agree or not based on the evidence provided.
5.	The strength of the school evidence base The Improvement Professional will look at the impact on learning - in particular staff, parents and pupil's surveys/questionnaires and the triangulation of results and subsequent actions.
6.	Agreement about overall effectiveness - including statutory requirements for equalities, diversity and safeguarding.

Negotiated Activity
In consultation with Governor representatives on the Schools Forum we have agreed that the governing body can request that the Improvement Professional carries out the support for governors in relation to the Headteacher Performance Management. This will include a meeting with the headteacher to discuss appropriate areas for future objectives, a meeting with governors to discuss areas of focus and then participation in a joint meeting with headteacher and governors to explore appropriate performance objectives. It will not include any write up or recording of the headteacher's performance management.

Other activities if time allows and by negotiation with the headteacher and governors could include:

	Learning walks with a particular aspect/ subject focus
	Scrutiny of children's work/ moderation etc
	Scrutiny of specific evidence in relation to a key improvement priority
	In-depth scrutiny of the school improvement and development plan, the school self evaluation procedures and outcomes

For those schools that have purchased the School Improvement Partner Package (SIPP) from the Norfolk Integrated Education Advisory Services, this day can be integrated into that package and will be in addition to those days purchased.

Targeted Intervention Support for schools requiring improvement

Schools have been identified for intervention support using a range of intelligence including the Key Stage data, especially those below the floor standards at the end of Key Stage 2 and the end of Key Stage 4. If your school:

-	is currently in an OFSTED category,
-	has been identified by a SIP as a school with transitional issues or areas of possible concern,
-	Key Stage 2 or Key Stage 4 data for 2009, 2010 and/or 2011 which is or has been below the new government floor standard

you are likely to be identified as a school requiring intervention support. You will be contacted in September 2011 by an Intervention Professional to agree an appropriate package of advice and guidance. The final identification of schools falling into this category will not be confirmed until the beginning of September 2011 when the 2011 data for schools can be accurately analysed.

The intervention team led by Richard Potts are all experienced professionals and some additional support will be commissioned by the team from the prospective Norfolk Teaching Schools , Local Leaders of Education and National Leaders of Education. Intervention support, advice and guidance will also be provided by leading teachers and ASTs. If you are likely to meet this criteria we ask that you do not agree significant external support for your school until you have been contacted by the Intervention Professional.
(For queries about targeted intervention please contact Richard Potts -Lead Adviser Manager Intervention and Achievement via claire.burrows@norfolk.gov.uk)

Floor Standards

The Department for Education announced new floor standards in 2010 for end of Key Stage 2 and end of Key Stage 4.

A school is defined as being below the floor standard if

At Key Stage 2

	less than 60% of pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 (KS2) achieve level 4 or above in English and maths; and
	below the national median % of pupils at the end of KS2 make 2 levels of progress in English (national median = 87%); and
	below the national median % of pupils at the end of KS2 make 2 levels of progress in mathematics (national median = 86%)

At Key Stage 4

	less than 35% of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 (KS4) achieve 5 or more GCSEs A*-C (or equivalents) including English and mathematics GCSE; and
	below average % of pupils at the end of KS4 making expected progress in English (national median = 72%); and
	below average % of pupils at the end of KS4 making expected progress in mathematics (national median = 65%)

The DfE have applied the whole 3 part floor standard back to 2009. Prior to that the first part of the standards attainment threshold measure only is applied when calculating how many years a school has been below the floor standard.

Excluded from the floor standard are

	Special, complex needs and short stay schools
	Schools with less than 11 pupils
	Closed schools
	Schools with missing data for one or more performance measure

(For queries about school data or the floor standard please contact Chris Snudden -Lead Adviser Manager Standards and Assessment via cathy.wager@norfolk.gov.uk)

School help-line

This service will enable schools to make contact with a Lead Manager or the Head of Service from the Educational Achievement, Improvement Leadership and Governance Team about day to day issues that arise in school that are of concern or for which you require advice/support. This will include contact about any aspect of an OFSTED inspection. All schools are requested they inform the Duty / Help desk as soon as they are informed by Ofsted of an inspection, monitoring visit or theme inspection. This will enable us to ensure all support mechanisms are in place including assistance with issues arising from the pre inspection briefing or any arising during the course of the inspection. The calls will be handled by the Senior Business Support Officer who will ensure that the Duty Desk / Help-line Manager is contacted.

The number to ring for this help-line service from September 5th 2011 is 01603 307797.